In Mission: Just Stand By Me- Luke 10: 38-42

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Just Stand By Me

As Jesus engaged in God’s mission in first century Israel, He took time to be with the people. Before he began to preach and teach and heal, he spent 30 years with them, laughing with them in their joy and crying with them in their sorrow.
He understood the complexities of life, language and family relationships in Nazareth. His feet were as dusty as everyone else’s and, thus, he was able to teach God’s Word in the form of parables that spoke powerfully to people from the context of their everyday life. Two disappointed disciples, fleeing Jerusalem for Emmaus after the chaos of Jesus’ death, spoke to the power of the missionary who had taken the time to “be” with the people who understood deeply their religious traditions and spiritual longings: “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32).

In Luke 10, Jesus clearly favors Mary’s behavior over her sister, Martha’s. As Martha busied herself with the tasks of doing, Mary chose the better course of being with Jesus. “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” As an overachieving, time-conscious American, I identify with Martha. Yet Jesus reminds me of the importance of just being. On short-term mission trips, what would happen if I set aside my need to “do” just long enough to really get to know the people to whom I’ve been sent, and follow their lead into the “doing”? What if I just built relationships with the people?

By setting aside the tasks of mission long enough to truly “be with the people,” Jesus started a movement that continues to grow and change the world 20 centuries later. His secret? He focused first and foremost on being the mes- sage. He developed deep and meaningful relationships with the people to whom God sent Him and embodied the love and forgiveness that God intended for them. How would our mission work be changed if we did the same?

The story of Martha and Mary was placed by Luke at the end of a chapter all about mission. Luke tells us about how Jesus sent 70 people in pairs to prepare the way for Him; how Jesus lamented about unrepentant cities and how the 70 came back with great news about their mission. Then we read the parable of the Samaritan that showed compassion and it seems that Martha is doing exactly what Luke has been teaching us: doing the mission. Why, then, does Jesus speak such harsh words to her? Jesus’ words to Martha are often perceived as if Jesus were scolding Martha. But Jesus was liberating her. By redefining her concept of mission and inviting her to just be with him she would be free of worries and distractions. Mary let go of the tasks and enjoyed Jesus’ presence. By setting aside the tasks of mission and enjoying God’s presence through the “least of these” we might be living “the better part.” How might we be changed if we were to “just be there”?

Hunter Farrell- World Mission Council- PC (USA).